Full Circle Chef

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full circle chef C E L E B R AT I N G C R A F T A N D F L AV O R

H U N T E R S A N D G AT H E R E R S FROM FIELD TO TABLE O N TA P THE BEST BELGIAN BREWS

I N T H E PA N CHEF WIEDMAIER’S FAVORITE RECIPES

CONTENTS 5 NEW HORIZONS Partner Frank Shull walks us through an opening.

9 MODERN GATHERING Local purveyors and farms, and where to find them all.

6 THE HUNT Full circle from the field to plate.

11 ON TAP Expect the unexpected from the Belgian brews and lots of variety.

8 HUDDLE IN THE KITCHEN The legendary John Riggins on full circle cooking at home.

16 LAST BITE Sweet or savory, dessert is a part of our culture.

Turning New Leaves

© 2013 Danone Waters of America, Inc. For more information, please call 1-800-443-3553

We are always evolving. The restaurants get updated. The company expands.

The dishes change with the seasons. And our opinions are constantly being challenged.

Marcel’s has a new look for fall: a fresh coat of paint, beautiful modern chandeliers and sconces, titanium silverware, and new china. The entire lounge area has been redone as well. I wanted to usher in a new era for the restaurant with an updated look that reinforced fine dining.

We have more restaurant openings on the horizon.

Early next year we will debut another Mussel Bar and Grille, this time in Baltimore.

In this issue, you will meet my partner and good friend Frank Shull, who has a fresh take on this business.

Since we are in the thick of football season, we catch up with another good friend and now avid chef, John Riggins. We also find out everything you ever wanted to know about the craft Belgian beers we offer at Beck and Mussel Bar—and why you need to call me Sir Wiedmaier!

[ba-dwah]: FRENCH FOR FINE BUBBLES

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If I wasn’t a chef, I’d be a musician. I have a great admiration for the craft and those who are passionate and talented enough to do it well. I own a signed cookbook called Kill It & Grill It: A Guide To Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish written by none other than Ted Nugent. Ted is not only an accomplished musician but also an outspoken advocate for hunting, another passion of mine.

In the following pages, I’ll give you my personal opinion on this sensitive and controversial subject to inspire further conversations. And leaving the best for last, let’s talk about dessert—sweet or savory? It has been said a sweet ending is a frivolity, the same way you enjoy a painting or a song. But in my book, music is an essential part of who we are. Art is a part of our culture, and so is dessert.

Enjoy the upcoming seasons and all they have to offer, and enjoy what we harvest especially for you at all of our restaurants!

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New Horizons with Frank Shull “When Frank and I met, he was running his own wealth management firm.

I really needed someone with a good business sense who could negotiate deals, move things forward with landlords, and help me fund my growing restaurant group. Frank sees things from a customer’s perspective. He has no hidden agendas, no preconceived notions about the business. He looks at something purely as a diner, and that is a rare commodity in this industry.”

— Chef Robert Wiedmaier “Our kids went to school together,” explains Frank

From looking at the spaces and negotiating and signing leases to building out

Shull about his initial connection with Chef Wiedmaier.

the restaurant, Frank is involved in every step. But it always starts with location.

“I have to admit, though, I had never been to Marcel’s,

“Almost daily, I get invited to check out a new spot by real estate owners or

so I was a little skeptical about his abilities as a chef!”

brokers, and most times I say no based on location. As Americans, we have

Of course, that all changed once he ate the food. Today, Frank and Robert have plenty to bond over: a love of hunting, fishing, music, and food. “We became fast friends; we have so much in common.”

In 2007, Frank was running his own investment company and Robert was looking to expand. An informal arrangement was established when Frank brought together a group of investors—clients who were fans of Marcel’s—to open Brasserie Beck. “Later

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“As owners, we do not have a monopoly on good ideas. Our staff are our front line: our eyes and our ears.

I am constantly telling them to come to me with ways to improve things or do them differently.”

that year I sold my company, and after I had fulfilled all

evolved to the point of sheer convenience. Why go to a great place that is far away or has restricted parking when I can eat around the corner and be satisfied?

Location, location, foot traffic, parking. We have great chefs, food, and concepts.

Why waste all that on a bad location?”

Another big consideration is the cost of doing business. “Because everything is made in house, from bread to ketchup, we have tremendous labor costs. A location may be perfect, but if the rent is too high, I’m not going to change the way we make our dishes just to make it work. Much like being entrusted with someone’s life savings, there is plenty at stake here, and so I use the same algorithms to figure things out.”

my obligations there, Robert asked me to come work

There are always conversations with Robert and Executive Chef and Partner

with him. I didn’t know anything about the restaurant

Brian McBride along the way. “We don’t agree on everything. We can’t. So we

industry besides odd jobs in it growing up. What’s a

hammer it out. But in all our years together, I have never felt like I have won

sous-vide machine? But I had negotiated plenty of deals

or lost a battle. We are very frank with one another. In many respects, I am the

in my old business and had quite a few employees to

one they are trying to sell to. I am the consumer. It keeps everything balanced.”

oversee, so in that aspect, it was similar. The rest was on-the-job training.”

While he counts organization as one of his strong suits, Frank admits he likes the craziness of it all. “A lot of little things can pop up at the last minute before

Like a sponge, Frank quickly learned the terminology

an opening. Applying for a last-minute permit or scheduling a health inspector.

and lay of the land. “It boiled down to listening, asking

Being organized really helps, but I like the adrenaline rush too. I’m not sitting

a lot of questions, reading, looking on the Internet, and

behind a desk; I’m constantly on the go, meeting after meeting, for hours at a

applying some of the same skills I had accrued over the

time. And yet it’s a different kind of stress, like building a puzzle and looking

years in my own business.” But the learning process

for those last small pieces before it all comes together.” And when it does, it’s a

wasn’t without its challenges. “I was used to catering

beautiful thing.

to my clients, an informal psychologist even at times!

Suddenly everyone was trying to sell me something, from the interior designer to the contractor, and it’s not easy making that transition when the tables are turned.”

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recipes

LOIN OF ELK

SADDLE OF RABBIT

Serves 4

Serves 4

WITH YUKON GOLD POTATO GRATIN, CHERRY BOMB RADISH, AND A CABERNET REDUCTION

STUFFED WITH RABBIT SAUSAGE, SECKLE PEAR, AND A FLORIS POIRE BEER REDUCTION

Hunters and Gatherers

I grew up in a family where my mother was an animal lover, perhaps to a fault. She was a great cook and ate meat, but she drew the line at hunting. Her father was a big hunter but she was reluctant to let me go out with him. I always fished, but it wasn’t until I was much older that I got into hunting through my cousins.

There are a lot of misgivings about the sport of hunting. Even if you do eat meat, I recognize it’s not always easy to visualize the steps that occur between the living animal and what ends up on the plate. I certainly understand and have stood up for plenty of animal causes in my lifetime, starting with the Save the Whales campaign when I was a teenager, working for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. It’s important to stand up for what you believe in and what you are passionate about. As a chef, I work with the end product in my kitchen every day. As an avid hunter, I can see the entire process all the way through, full circle.

As with any sport or hobby, there are bad apples in every basket. The bottom line is: hunters, at least responsible hunters, are conservationists. Every species needs a predator to weed them out. If not, the population grows out of control; winter comes, they struggle to find food, or they die of disease.

Most people don’t understand that. For human beings, sadly those predators are cars, drunk drivers, and cancer. For the white-tailed deer, it’s people. If you leave them to populate, they will end up all over the place and eventually die of disease. Hunting helps bring balance to the environment and keeps it healthy.

About ten percent of the U.S. population are hunters, which is a small percentage. Every time a hunter buys a tag that allows him or her to hunt and kill, say, one elk in Colorado, a portion of that goes to a conservation wildlife assessment. Every time a hunter buys ammo, a gun, or a camo jacket, likewise that money goes to a conservation cause. Most people don’t realize that hunters actually pay for a lot of the state parks where all those buffalo roam.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the thrill of the chase. I love sitting out there in a duck or deer blind for hours, your breath hanging in the cold air. It’s exhilarating. One of my most memorable shoots happened last year in

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Colorado. It was the last day of our hunting trip, and I hadn’t caught anything. I prepared myself not to be disappointed because, regardless, it was an amazing trip.

The camaraderie and the sheer beauty of the countryside was reward enough. And then suddenly, an elk literally walked out right in front of me and I shot it from 30 yards away.

Make no mistake about it, taking that shot comes with responsibility. As you pull the trigger, your mind is racing: Is it a safe shot? Can I make a clean kill? And then there is the commitment to the hours of work ahead. Because once you shoot, that’s when the real work begins. That’s when you have to track it and get that animal back home, slaughter and clean it, and utilize every part of its body.

Hunters, more than most, value the land. We marvel at God’s country. It’s where you find quality air, soil, and meat. It’s where animals have fed off the untainted earth and drank from the clearest waters. And there is nothing better than fresh culled meat. You can taste the natural existence of that animal’s life in every bite. It’s so clean.

There’s no fat in it. When I shared that elk with friends, they said it was the best thing they have ever eaten. And it makes me happy to know I’m going to eat some good food for a while.

Hunting isn’t for everyone, but keeping an open mind is.

It’s a sport, it’s a passion, it’s a chance to bond with friends and nature. And it’s the beginning of understanding what we end up putting in our bodies and why.

INGREDIENTS 6 Yukon Gold potatoes Butter Salt and pepper to taste Parmesan cheese Heavy cream 1 elk loin 3 shallots, sliced

Bay leaf Thyme Half bottle of red wine 3 cups fond de veau 16 Cherry Bomb radishes 2 cloves garlic

METHOD Potato Gratin

Heat the potato gratin in the oven at 400°F.

Slice the potatoes thinly on a Japanese mandoline.

Cook the radishes in chopped garlic and butter.

Layer a small baking dish with parchment and rub with butter.

Warm the sauce and season to taste.

Place one layer of potatoes then season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with Parmesan, then drizzle with cream. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are gone.

Season the elk loins with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear them in a hot pan and cook them rare to medium rare.

Bake at 325°F for 45 minutes.

Cool. Cut into desired shape.

Elk Loin Cut the elk loin into four portions.

Cut up any trim meat, fat, or sinew, then sauté it in a saucepan with shallots, a bay leaf, and some thyme. Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the fond de veau, and reduce to nappe consistency. Strain.

Place the potatoes down on the plate. Slice the loins and place them over the potatoes with the radishes atop. Sauce and serve!

INGREDIENTS 1 rabbit 9 shallots Bay leaf Thyme 2 Floris Poire beers 2 cups fond de veau 1 carrot 1 celery stalk

Salt and pepper to taste 6 Seckle pears 1 cup Sauternes 1 cup sugar Baby spinach 16 micro carrots Butter

METHOD Butcher the rabbit into two saddles, fore legs, and debone the hind legs.

Slice each saddle in two, making four pieces, and then truss them with butcher’s twine.

Sear the carcass forelegs and hind leg bones in a large stockpot until brown. Add 4 sliced shallots, the bay leaf, and thyme.

Poach the Seckle pears in sweet wine, sugar, and water for 1 hour or until soft.

Add the beer and reduce by half.

Final Cooking and Plating

Add the fond de veau. Slowly simmer and reduce until nappe consistency. Strain.

Sear the trussed rabbits in a sauté pan until golden brown.

Cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.

Rabbit Saddle Roulades

Cook the micro carrots in butter, salt, and pepper.

Chop the carrot, celery, and two shallots. Sauté until cooked through. Cool.

Wilt the spinach over butter and fine chopped shallots.

Grind the hind leg meat and the cooked vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Warm the sauce, and add a tablespoon or two of the pear syrup.

Season the saddles then stuff them with the forcemeat.

Heat the poached pears in syrup.

Wrap the saddles in plastic wrap into tight cylinders.

Poach them for 30 minutes at 185°F. Place them in an ice bath and chill for 2 hours.

Place the spinach down on the plate. Slice the rabbits and place them over the spinach. Place the pears around and the micro carrots over the top. Finally, sauce the plate with the rabbit sauce and serve.

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Huddle in the Kitchen with John Riggins “I have known John for many years, and we enjoy hunting and fishing together. You can tell that John really appreciates good food. He likes going out and harvesting an animal, bringing it back, cooking it really well, and sharing it with friends. I have had the pleasure of being involved in four or five episodes of Riggo on the Range, which is always a lot of fun to film. John was always considered a rebel, and in many respects this phase of his life is another testament to being true to something he is passionate about.” — Chef Robert Wiedmaier He might be best remembered for his 43-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XVII, but today you can find John Riggins in his kitchen, preparing lunches for his kids or dinner for the whole family. That’s after he’s hunted or fished for the protein on the plate, often in the company of his friends, fellow former teammates, and coaches.

He films his culinary adventures and now Riggo on the Range can be viewed on Discovery Channel’s Destination America.

“My passion for cooking developed slowly over the years. I suppose I have always had a strong subconscious appreciation for what it takes to be a chef.

Going to a place like Marcel’s, I quickly realize I will never be able to play on that level in the kitchen. But chefs like Robert are an inspiration. Besides, I love to eat great food. My mom was an excellent cook, and when I left home I was introduced to a whole world of food. My natural curiosity for food whets my appetite to cook.

After 40 years in football, I decided to do something else. I liked to hunt, and I met someone who wanted to partner with me to produce a show about hunting. But then the idea evolved because my approach to the sport is more than just the kill: I am going shopping. I look forward to bringing something home to the table, much as it was done for that purpose 200 years ago. That is where the cooking element came in. I wanted the show to appeal to those who enjoy hunting but don’t necessarily know what to do with the animal after they kill it. I want to provide a basic understanding of the steps involved to create a meal that you will never be able to get at any four-star restaurant, because eating wild game or fish straight out of the water is an experience unto itself. Riggo on the Range is about fostering that appreciation for the meal and respect for the animal that provided it. It’s a cooking show where my grocery store is the outdoor forest.

The social aspect of hunting, the company you keep, really dictates the kind of experience you can have. Some people like to hunt alone. I want to collect those priceless moments with friends when someone falls in a hole or water up to here and you all crack up! It takes me right back to the football field, that same camaraderie during a debriefing after the game, remembering all the laughs you had! Some of my favorite hunting trips to date have been with former teammates and coaches.

I connected with Robert through one of his uncles who fishes at the same place I do in King Salmon, in the Katmai National Park in Alaska. I started frequenting Marcel’s when I moved back to D.C., and we became friends. One day I decided to add a professional chef to the mix on my show, and so I asked Robert. He was happy to participate.

It’s great to be around professionals in the kitchen. You can learn so much by just watching and listening. I don’t consider myself a great cook, but I do have an instinct for flavor, texture, and anticipating that mouthfeel. I’m not very good at writing things down; I usually just throw it all together and learn along the way. I truly believe that to have a great meal is one of the joys of life.”

FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE: My Montague Grizzly stove.

KITCHEN GOAL: To time it right to make a béarnaise sauce with a steak.

FAVORITE FOOD DESTINATION: Italy. I have never had a bad meal there.

It’s part of a culture we don’t have ... yet.

BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN FOOTBALL: Telling Joe Gibbs I wanted the ball in the ’83 Super Bowl playoffs.

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INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE: My older brother, who was a great athlete. He set the bar high.

“We have great relationships with our local farmers and artisans and are happy to serve their products in our restaurants. We do as much as we can to support them. We supplement what we can’t get locally with the best we can find in the rest of the world: salmon from Alaska, foie gras from France. We make many of our items, like jams and jellies and breads, in-house.” — Chef Robert Wiedmaier.

CHAPEL HILL FARMS Randall Lineback cattle, America’s rarest breed, provides the finest rose-veal in the world.

Berryville, VA randalllineback.org DC BRAU A local brewery that is custom-crafting “Cry Baby” an American Blonde Ale, for the RW Restaurant Group.

3178-B Bladensburg Road NE Washington DC dcbrau.com

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS WITH JOHN RIGGINS GO-TO DISH: Something on the grill.

That is where I am the most comfortable.

Modern Gathering

DREAM DINNER: A simple affair with my wife. I would prepare a striped bass, fillet it, skin on, on the grill, and then skewer 1-inch pieces with nothing more than olive oil, pepper, and a little lemon juice.

PIPE DREAMS FROMAGE Brad Parker loves his goats and it shows in these rich and tangy cheeses.

Greencastle, PA

PARKER FARMS Fresh tomatoes grown locally and processed at their facilities.

Oak Grove, VA parkerfarms.net

RAPPAHANNOCK OYSTER CO. Oysters that exude the unique flavors of the Chesapeake Bay region.

Topping, VA rroysters.com

MARTIN’S BEEF Grass fed and grain finished Angus beef raised in rolling pastures, and lamb too.

HUNTSMAN Exotic meats and locally procured partridge and pheasant.

The Plains, VA martinsangusbeef.com

Lorton, VA huntsmangame.com

IRWIN MUSHROOMS A wide assortment of wild and exotic mushrooms straight from the mushroom capital of the world.

THE GREAT WICOMICO OYSTER CO. Farm-direct fresh oysters grown in some of the cleanest estuaries off the Great Wicomico River.

Kennett Square, PA irwinmushrooms.com

Heathsville, VA greatwicomicooyster.com

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beer

99 BOTTLES OF BELGIAN BEER ON THE WALL with Ramon Narvaez Ramon Narvaez likes to think that his beer taste has evolved tremendously since his college days. Back then it was pilsners and light lagers at parties, while today he conducts daily tastings of some of the finest Belgian beers that are offered at Brasserie Beck and the Mussel Bar & Grille.

“My first deeper interaction with beer was in the ’90s, during the first wave of American craft beers.”

After working his way through several front-of-house positions and serving as wine director for Alain Ducasse, Narvaez found himself back at Brasserie Beck faced with the daunting task of curating their beer program, a heady list of more than 100 choices heavily based in Belgian beers.

BRABO: THE PERFECT PALATE CLEANSER Brewed in Belgium by Brouwerij Huyghe, this light and refreshing lager has lots of flavor and won’t weigh you down. It was created exclusively for Chef Robert Wiedmaier and takes its name from a mythical Roman soldier who slew the giant Antigoon in ancient Antwerp.

Expect big, oatmeal malt flavors; soft, hoppy, bitter, but not too much; and a golden straw color.

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SIR ROBERT WIEDMAIER KNOWS HIS BEER Belgians take their beer and their traditions very seriously. The Knighthood of the Brewer’s Mash Staff is an ancient and noble guild of the brewing industry. In 2012, during its annual celebration of Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels, none other than Chef Robert Wiedmaier was officially “enthroned” as an Honorary Knight.

Wiedmaier spent his formative professional years in Brussels, and raised his glass—several times—in gratitude for the honor!

“Now I taste beers for a living every day. I recently became a Cicerone Certified Beer Server. This is the first part of a rigorous course given by an Americanbased institution that is equivalent to being a Court of Master Sommelier on the wine side, where I am also a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommelier.

It helped me to gain a good understanding about basic styles of beer, origins, and how it is made—the technical part.”

Belgian beers are a natural fit for both restaurants given the food that is served and, of course, Chef Wiedmaier’s heritage. “What is so unique about these beers is that they really reflect the spirit of the people of Belgium,” explains Narvaez. “To many, the Belgians are considered a little eccentric, and that allows them a lot of creativity. These are people who live in the hub of commerce and culture in Europe. They had been exposed to Dutch, French, and German influences, as well as the commerce and trading routes on the coast. They don’t follow a lot of rules unlike, say, the Germans, who strictly adhere to a purity law, known as the Reinheitsgebot, that states only barley, water, and most recently hops can be in a beer. Likewise, the English, being old-fashioned and traditional, have very

definite styles that don’t vary much from one brewer to another. But with the Belgians, anything goes. Over the centuries, they have created certain styles that loosely follow a pattern and profile, but that’s about the extent of it. They add just about anything to a beer: coriander, orange peel, clove. They ferment for an extra long time to create super high levels of alcohol. They open ferment, exposing the beer to naturally occurring yeasts, sometimes to everything in the air in a barn-like atmosphere. And this results in some very funky styles of beer: strong, assertive, and not extremely regulated. Only in Belgium can you find a Tripel blonde ale that is also highly hoppy. In most other countries, beer profiles hardly deviate.”

So the good news is, there’s a beer to satisfy any palate, and one glance at the Beck and Mussel Bar beer lists reinforces this. But where do you start, and what do you choose? Should you approach beer the same way you do wine?

“Absolutely,” states Narvaez. “Talk to your server. Give them parameters—what you like or don’t like, what you want to spend, and whether you want to pair the beer with food, or if you are thirsty and just want a quencher. Even if we don’t have a beer guru in house, we train our staff constantly. They taste at line up twice a day, so they are well educated. Why spend half an hour pouring through a menu, at least for your first drink of beer, when you can rely on your server’s knowledge Then you can either leave it in their hands or take it from there.”

The Mussel Bar & Grille beer list includes a description of each beer, style, and category. “We always try to state the alcohol percentage because when it comes to Belgian beer, one bottle might well be the equivalent of two or two and a half bottles of another. In comparison to a Stella or Budweiser with a four percent alcohol level, a Belgian Tripel or Quad might have 11 or 12 percent, because they actually use ingredients such as candy sugar to drive up the levels during fermentation. We are always careful when serving these types of beers so no one gets caught by surprise.”

Rounding out the list, you will find some classic German beers and American ones as well. “American experimentation has brought it around full circle. Now everyone is trying to copy American styles of beer making.”

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wine

cocktails

ROBERT KACHER SELECTIONS

FALL INTO COCKTAILS AT BRASSERIE BECK

In the same way that Robert Wiedmaier carefully crafts his menus, Robert Kacher Selections works to cultivate relationships with our valued business partners: small, family-run estates, who value high quality and uncompromising standards.

ANTWERP Dewar’s 12 Year Ginger syrup Angostura bitters Antigoon Double Blonde Ale Orange peel Stir Dewar’s and other ingredients over ice. Pour slowly over a snifter of Antigoon Double Blonde Ale. Garnish with a long and wide orange peel.

DOMAINE DE LA QUILLA First acquired in 1948 and still family owned and run, the Vinet family has some of the finest vineyards in AOC Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine.

Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur lie A clean and elegant wine, demonstrating a smokiness and earthiness matched with saline minerality. Pairs well with the White Wine Mussels (Mussel Bar & Grille) DOMAINE THOMAS & FILS Growing grapes in Sancerre since 1670, today ninth and tenth generation family members make terroir and house style favor wines of great amplitude and texture, with long, lingering finishes.

Domaine Thomas & Fils Sancerre La Crêle Lush flavors of pear, with a silken palate of exotic fruits. Pairs well with the Humboldt Fog Cypress Grove goat cheese (Brasserie Beck) or with Oven Roasted Brook Trout (Mussel Bar & Grille). Stop by Marcel’s for a glass as well.

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DOMAINE CHRISTOPHE CORDIER Christophe Cordier is a 3rd generation vigneron in southern Burgundy’s Mâconnais who farms thirty hectares in clay and limestone soils, spread over 100 individual parcels and nine villages.

Christophe Cordier Pouilly Fuissé A lovely wine, featuring hints of white orchard fruit, and floral and lemon rind infused aromas. A forward, mediumbodied wine with a long and dry finish.

A fantastic pairing for Marcel’s Buttery Poached Sable Fish English Pea Puree.

DOMAINE DU TARIQUET After producing quality Armagnac in Gascogne since 1912, third generation winemaker Yves Grassa, made the bold decision in 1982 to additionally focus on quality wine production.

Domaine du Tariquet Chardonnay IGP Côtes de Gascogne This fine wine offers delicacy, strength, and good structure. Its subtle bouquet reveals floral notes, fresh butter, and hints of vanilla. Fresh and intense at entry, rich flavors then give way to pleasant toasty notes. Be sure to drink this with the Jumbo Lump Crab cake (Mussel Bar & Grille).

DOMAINE SAINTE-EUGÉNIE In 2001, Hervé Gantier and José Ratero purchased Domaine Sainte-Eugénie in the ancient winemaking village of Bizanet where breezes from the Mediterranean coupled with southblowing winds from the Cevennes Mountains work to cool the grapes and help them retain their vibrancy.

Domaine Sainte-Eugénie Corbières La Réserve Wild fruits dominate this nose, kissed by hints of vanilla, flowers, anise, tobacco, and mocha. Generous, rich, concentrated flavor with remarkable length. A perfect fusion with the Steak & Frites (Brasserie Beck).

CHAMPAGNE PASCAL DOQUET Since taking over the family domaine in 2004, Pascal Doquet has set new standards in the prestigious Côte de Blancs by organically farming his grower Champagne. Recently the Estate was recognized as one of the 100 Top Wineries of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

Champagne Pascal Doquet Premier Cru Rosé NV This richly textured, full-bodied Champagne has amazing length and hints of red fruit. Pair with the Bay Scallop Gateau, Pipe Dreams Chevre and Potato, Octopus, Chorizo Sofrito at Marcel’s .

CROSSED OVER Double Cross Vodka Pink peppercorn Lemon peel Grapefruit peel Stir vodka and peppercorn in mixing glass with ice. Pour in glass over crushed ice. Garnish with lemon and grapefruit peel.

A STITCH IN TIME Beefeater Gin Thyme syrup Lime Ginger beer Thyme sprig Mix all ingredients and shake.

Pour into a Pilsner tall glass.

Garnish with a thyme sprig.

BLACKBERRY BASIL CAIPIRINHA

DOMAINE LES CAILLOUX Domaine Les Cailloux is one of the oldest domaines in Châteauneuf and the vineyards have been in the Brunel family for over three centuries. Famed winemaker André Brunel joined the family domaine in 1971.

Domaine Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge With its full-bodied, ripe, and deeply complex style, and notes such as spice, black currant, tobacco, and cherry, this Châteauneuf is the perfect accompaniment to the New Frontier Bison Strip Loin and Braised Bison Short Rib (Marcel’s).

Cachaça Ginger syrup Lime Sugar Blackberry-basil shrub Basil leaf or blackberry

In the kitchen with Winemaker Xavier Monnot, Regional Manager Ronnie Miller, and Robert Wiedmaier.

Pour ingredients into a large shaking glass.

Add just a pinch of granulated sugar. Add berries and muddle together. Shake and pour with its own ice in a rock glass. Garnish with a basil leaf or with a blackberry floating on top

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purveyor

NOT ALL MUSSELS ARE CREATED EQUAL! Located in the pristine waters surrounding Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Aqua Farms is the number one grower and processor of rope-grown mussels in North America. They harvest mussels that exceed taste expectations, but don’t just take their word for it …

MUSSELS PAIRINGS FROM CORPORATE BEVERAGE DIRECTOR RAMON NARVAEZ

CLASSIC WHITE WINE MUSSELS (roasted garlic, parsley, cream)

WILD MUSHROOMS (applewood-smoked bacon, truffle cream)

Brabo Belgian Pils. Brabo Belgian Pils. Our pilsner creates a fantastic balance because it counters the delicious creamy garlicky mouthfeel of the mussels with its bright, crisp hops and elegant malt flavors.

Bourgogne-Chardonnay Domaine Xavier Monnot, Burgundy-France 2012. A perfect pairing of white Burgundy and mussels. The subtle smoky and slightly herbal scents on the wine round up and augment the rich flavors on the plate. The bacon and truffle aromas benefit from the wine’s fuller-bodied mouthfeel.

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin “Yellow Label” Reims-France.

For this tasty treat, a bright, crisp and vivacious Champagne will be the perfect accompaniment.

Champagne is the most versatile and food-friendly wine. Veuve Clicquot’s is full-bodied, rich, and deep. It lifts up all garlicky goodness of the recipe and brightens up your palate.

MEDITERRANEAN MUSSELS (tomatoes, chorizo, fennel) Antigoon Belgian Double Blonde Ale. Citrusy and yeasty with moderate alcohol compared to other Belgian ales. The complexity of our beer makes a great pairing with the multiple flavors in the Mediterranean mussels. Tomatoes and spicy chorizo blend perfectly with the hoppy bittersweet flavors.

SPICY RED THAI CURRY (peanuts, basil, cilantro) Riesling Domaine Ehrhart “Herrenweg” Alsace-France 2012. Spicy, tangy, and intense, this mussel dish needs to be tamed by this slightly sweet white wine. The wine’s accents of honey, pear, and citrus tempers the heat from the spicy curry.

Gigondas Domaine Santa Duc “Aux Lieux-Dits,” Rhone Valley-France 2012. A steamy mussel pot that contains earthy mushrooms, smoked bacon, and intense truffles screams for a wine with similar qualities. This Gigondas is round and meaty with notes of leather, licorice, and pepper. The South of France is renowned for its truffles and seasonal mushrooms.

CHAPEL HILL FARMS VEAL BOLOGNESE MUSSELS (crispy capers, hard-boiled egg, Parmesan cheese) “La Reserve” Domaine Sainte Eugenie Costieres de Nimes-France 2011. This veal Bolognese is deliciously complex and combines a multitude of ingredients and flavors.

Therefore, it needs an equally tasteful and multilayered partner.

The wine has a generous bouquet of wild and dark fruits, anise, tobacco, and mocha. It brings the veal-cheese-egg goodness together in great harmony.

Owner and Chef Robert Wiedmaier along with partner Executive Chef Brian McBride offer mussels in all of the restaurants and go through a lot of these bivalve mollusks in a week—thousands of pounds, in fact—especially at the Mussel Bar & Grille and Brasserie Beck locations. Selecting the right mussel farmer with which to work is more than just finding a supplier—it’s about a partnership. As mussels are the centerpiece of many of their dishes, they searched high and low and landed on Atlantic Aqua Farms based on consistent excellent quality, sustainable facility practices, and taste.

“We use a signature Blue Bay mussel that is the cream of their crop,” explains Chef McBride. “It is two and a half centimeters in length or bigger and maintains its mussel meat plumpness on the inside after they are cooked.

We present the mussels as simply as possible, and for that reason taste is paramount.” The mussels are cooked in cast iron French pots on induction burners for approximately three minutes before they are presented at the table with a steaming flourish! Chef Wiedmaier’s success with the mussels is a direct reflection of the combined in-house culinary expertise while using the best mussels they can find.

“The RW mussel from PEI has a 70 percent meat-to-shell ratio,” adds Wiedmaier. “They are a tasty, larger mussel that arrives on our doorstep in record time.” Atlantic Aqua Farms has Best Aquaculture Practices certification, and freshness and sustainability are both top-of-list factors that weigh heavily on this full circle chef’s mind.

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dessert

recipes

REBLOCHON CHEESECAKE

SWEET VS. SAVORY: The Psychology of Ordering Dessert with Chef Robert Wiedmaier Leave it to the French to confuse the issue of dessert. We can’t give them complete credit for coming up with sweet endings to a meal, but they certainly have contributed with everything from mousse and macarons to crème brûlée and profiteroles. Then to throw a plateau de fromage into the mix—isn’t that a contradiction of sorts? True cheese aficionados prefer their cheese course after the main dish and before dessert: sucré must follow salé. And to give credit where credit’s due, the French also came up with the word dessert, from the French desservir, which means to unserve—meaning dessert was set out after the table had been “unserved,” or cleared away. But what’s a diner to choose for a happily ever after ending: sweet, savory, or both?

Yields 10 portions

INGREDIENTS 2 pints figs 2 vanilla pods Cinnamon stick 375 ml Sauternes 1 cup sugar 4 sheets gelatin 1 wheel Reblochon cheese Two 2 x 1.5-foot acetate film

METHOD Cut the figs in quarters and place them in a sauce pot. Add scraped vanilla pods, cinnamon, sweet wine, and sugar. Top with a little water, if needed.

Cook until the figs are cooked.

Place the gelatin sheets in ice water then, when soft, add them to the syrup.

Swirl until homogeneous.

“Personally, I go with cheese over sweet. Not that I don’t like sweet desserts, because I’ve certainly made and eaten enough of them over my lifetime, but cheese is my personal preference. We offer both options on the tasting menu at Marcel’s, and quite honestly before that, cheese was tough sell. Now almost every table orders both cheese and dessert. Some of that I attribute to the evolution of the American palate. Thirty years ago, you couldn’t find coffee shops serving 50 different bean and roasting options. There were no craft beers or freshly baked breads. Today, thankfully, Americans no longer regard sliced American cheese and a sleeve of saltine crackers as a formidable cheese plate. They are more mindful about what they eat, and that shows through their menu choices.

I think the traditional plateau de fromage can be confusing and intimidating.

We offer four choices and your server will explain each selection. But don’t expect cut cheese on a plate with caramelized walnuts. We make it a little more interesting: stuffed with summer truffles, drizzled with walnut honey, or baked around a Granny Smith apple. I don’t think our guests need to pour over 30 different cheeses and spend 15 minutes trying to decide. It’s a nice idea and, again, I personally enjoy that process, but cheese requires an education all of it’s own. Some of our selections are local, but I have to admit, I am a Francophile and love French cheese. It’s kind of like our wine list: 80 percent French, 20 percent American.

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FULL CIRCLE CHEF

The relationship between sweet and savory desserts has, in many ways, come full circle. In as far back as Anglo-Norman times, it was common to incorporate sweet elements into a savory dish: custards, stews, sauces, and tarts made with strawberries and cherries and plums. There was a definite division between the sweet and savory items during the 20th century, and now anything goes. Given cutting-edge equipment, the sky’s the limit. Spoiler alert for the French purist: I like to offer both cheese and dessert on one plate.

Sacré bleu! I will macerate apricots or prunes in a sauterne with a little gelatin, for example, make a cheesecake out of a Brillat-Savarin or a Reblochon, and then add the fruit on top.

Or I will make a gelée of Bing cherries and add a fromage blanc to it.

Split one wheel of Reblochon cheese in half, ending with two half rounds split-side up. Wrap them with 2-inch acetate film.

Place the figs around the top of the cheese. Pour some syrup over, and chill until the gelatin has set.

Slice like a cake and serve.

Dessert is not an afterthought to a menu. Sure, it’s not about nutrition, but it is a part of our culture. What is more American than apple pie? Or more French than a chocolate soufflé? Or more English than a trifle? Have you ever come across a fine-dining establishment without a pastry chef? Doubtful. Pâtisserie is a fine art, in much the same way as jewelry making or sculpting. Cheese, too, inspires a conversation and tells you a lot about the person who orders it. Dessert is nothing to fret about. It is to be enjoyed.

Savory, sweet, or both.

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Publisher MICHAEL GOLDMAN purveyor spotlight

CONGRESSIONAL SEAFOOD The closer your food source is to your door, the fresher it is. That’s why Robert Wiedmaier restaurants favor locally sourced seafood – like oysters, clams and rockfish. Their supplier, Congressional Seafood, Co., sources only the freshest seafood products and prides itself on having long-standing relationships with waterman and fisherman all around the Eastern shore and along the Chesapeake Bay. These relationships mean you receive the finest seafood whenever you visit a RW restaurant – Marcel’s, Mussel Bar & Grille, Brasserie Beck, Brabo, and Wildwood Kitchen.

Editor-in-Chief PAMELA JOUAN Design Director JANA POTASHNIK BAIRDesign, Inc. Managing Editor CHRISTIAN KAPPNER Assistant Editor STEPHANE HENRION Senior Copy Editor KELLY SUZAN WAGGONER Contributing Writer PAMELA JOUAN Photography SCOTT SUCHMAN

Advertising Inquiries 718.288.8688 HauteLife Press a division of C-BON MEDIA, LLC. 321 Dean Street Suite 1 Brooklyn, NY 11217 www.hautelifepress.com info@hautelifepress.com Subscription Inquiries 718.288.8688 subscriptions@hautelifepress.com or visit www.hautelifepress.com

There are many good reasons to eat local besides just freshness – consider the economic and environmental benefits to the region when chefs serve local seafood. For instance, putting locally grown Chesapeake oysters on menus is a winning proposition for everyone. A popular slogan in the region is “Eat an Oyster Save the Bay” where one hundred years ago, shellfish filtered the entire volume of water in the Chesapeake Bay several times per day.

Today, with oysters at less than 1% of their historical population, it happens only once every few months. Eating locally grown oysters translates to cleaning the Bay.

Chefs de Cuisine Paul Searman, Marcel’s Harper McClure, Brabo Dean Dupuis, Brasserie Beck, DC Chris Watson, Brasserie Beck, Gaithersburg Gene Sohn, Mussel Bar & Grille, Bethesda Erik Shane Foxx, Mussel Bar & Grille, Arlington Matt Newland, Wildwood Kitchen Executive Team Robert Wiedmaier, Executive Chef/Proprietor Brian McBride, Corporate Chef/Partner Frank Shull, COO/Partner Joe Lively, CFO/Partner Polly Wiedmaier, CMO

Chef Weidmaier is an avid proponent of serving local seafood at all of his establishments and Congressional Seafood Co. is pleased to be their connection to the best seafood the mid-Atlantic has to offer.

Marcel’s 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC marcelsdc.com BRABO Restaurant 1600 King Street Alexandria, VA braborestaurant.com

Brasserie Beck 1101 K Street NW Washington, DC

Mussel Bar & Grille 7262 Woodmont Avenue Bethesda, MD

311 Kentlands Blvd Gaithersburg, MD brasseriebeck.com

800 North Glebe Road Arlington, VA musselbar.com

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Wildwood Kitchen 10223 Old Georgetown Road North Bethesda, MD wildwoodkitchenrw.com